Our annual report is out now!
Our latest annual report shows how we have been fighting for the people of Birmingham on the health and social care issues you have told us matter most. These include highlighting patient safety concerns at University Hospitals Birmingham and investigating access to GPs and NHS dentists in the city. It also demonstrates the difference people’s feedback has made to services such as mental health support for young people and day opportunity services for people with disabilities and other needs.
We have heard the views of over 8,000 local residents this year – more than ever before. We are particularly proud of the fact that we have collected feedback from all ethnicities and from across all 69 wards in Birmingham. We will continue to reach out to communities we need to hear more from, to ensure that everyone in Birmingham has the opportunity to influence the services they use. In addition, we have provided clear and impartial information about health and social care to over 5,000 people through our Information and Signposting service and website.
2023 also marks the 10th anniversary of Healthwatch Birmingham and the report also looks back at some of our most important achievements since Healthwatch Birmingham was established to serve local people in 2013. These include:
- Improvements to hospital waiting rooms
- Working with diverse communities to tackle health inequalities
- Better prescribing systems in mental health services
- Helping people to find emergency supplies of food and medicines during Covid-19 lockdown
- More patient-centred care in GP practices
We would like to thank all the people who have shared their experiences with us and everyone working in health and social care who have helped Healthwatch Birmingham to make such a difference, and we look forward to building on this track record of impact in the future.